Methods of providing published content

ABSTRACT

Methods of providing published content are presented. Content providers, including advertisers, can have their network addresses become black listed through no fault of their own. Content providers can utilize one or more intermediary providers each having their own distinct network address, possibly a registered domain name. An advertiser or other content provider can engage members of a distribution channel to disseminate promotional information to consumers where the promotional information comprises a network address of the intermediary provider. Upon a request directed toward the network address, the intermediary transforms published content obtained from the primary provider to make the content appear as though it originated from the intermediary provider. Should a black listing event occur, only the intermediary provider would be affected. An updated or new intermediary provider having a new, distinct network address can be instantiated to replace the black listed provider.

This application claims the benefit of priority to provisionalapplication having Ser. No. 61/030,853 filed on Feb. 22, 2008.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention is content publishing technologies.

BACKGROUND

Advertisers have a desire to increase exposure of their goods orservices. On the Internet, advertisers seek publishers to spread theword about the advertiser's goods or services. Commonly, publishersgenerate exposure for an advertiser's web site or promotional content byplacing ads on web pages, purchasing search results advertising forspecific key words, sending email advertisements, or through othermethods of creating exposure to the advertiser's goods and services. Thevarious types of advertisements also include uniform resource locators(URLs) comprising a network address where published content about goodsor services can be obtained.

Publishers work with one or more other members of a distribution channelto spread the word about an advertiser's promotional content. Otherdistribution members include firms that have customers for whom suchadvertising is appropriate (e.g., a list of email addresses), brokerswhich connect advertisers with publishers, and other parties that aid indistributing advertisements. Each party often requires some form ofaccounting to indicate if their services were used when a consumer makesa request for published content. Accounting is generally achievedthrough the common practice of client redirection. Although existingpublication models achieve their goal of distributing advertisements,these models have various weaknesses.

One issue with known publication models is that advertisers can bepenalized for the undesirable business practices of their publishers andother distribution channel members. Publishers are responsible forexposing an advertiser's promotional content to consumers, and generallyadvertisers have no control of or visibility to the methods employed byits publishers. For example, if a publisher distributes emailadvertisements to a list of individuals who have no interest in theadvertiser's goods or services, these individuals might report suchemails as spam. In severe cases, these reports can lead to the blacklisting of an advertiser's web site. This has catastrophic consequencesfor an advertiser as well as every other publisher promoting thatadvertiser's content, as black listing prevents consumers from reachingthe advertised content. Complicating matters further, advertisers aretypically unable to identify the publisher responsible for such blacklisting, making publisher accountability difficult or impossible.

Other known issues with existing publication models include delays incontent delivery experienced by consumers and caused by clientredirection. Excessive perceived delays can result in a consumer losinginterest in the promotion even before obtaining content.

Ideally content providers, including advertisers, should be able topublish content while being insulated from black listing events or othernegative reputation due to circumstances outside their control.Furthermore, published content should be provided to a client withoutrequiring the client to be redirected.

Others have suggested using an intermediary content provider that canrelay information from a primary provider to a remote user for variouspurposes. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 6,953,783 to Bodwell et al.,U.S. Pat. No. 7,103,645 to Leighton et al., and U.S. patent publication2003/0120543 to Carey. Unfortunately, the approaches described in theseand other references fail to fully protect a publisher from a blacklisting event. These and all other extrinsic materials discussed hereinare incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition oruse of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contraryto the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of thatterm provided herein applies and the definition of that term in thereference does not apply.

What has yet to be appreciated is published content can be providedthrough an intermediary provider that appears as an originating sourceof the content while also reducing requirements for client redirection.Publishers provide access to content via a network address associatedwith the intermediary provider. Consumers or other clients can requestthe content directly from the intermediary provider. The intermediaryprovider can aggregate content from a primary provider, an advertiserfor example, by obtaining the content at the primary provider's networkaddress. The intermediary provider can then present the publishedcontent to the client. Should a black listing event occur, only theintermediary provider would be black listed as opposed to the primaryprovider. Furthermore, all redirections can be accomplished behind theintermediary provider.

Thus, there is still a need for methods of providing published contentto a client.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides apparatus, systems and methods in whichpublished content can be provided to a client. A client can direct arequest for published content to the network address of an intermediarycontent provider. The published content is aggregated from at least oneprimary content provider by obtaining the content from each of theprimary content providers at a network address distinct from theintermediary content provider's address. As the published content isobtained, it is transformed into a transformed content according to atransformation policy where the transformed content appears to originatefrom the intermediary provider. In response to the client's request, theintermediary provider forwards the transformed content to the client.

As used herein “content”, including “transformed content”, comprisesdata presented to requesting client, including functionality supportedby the data. Contemplated content data can include audio, images, video,data streams (e.g., on-line radios, broadcasts, web cams, etc. . . . ),data feeds (e.g., ATOM, RSS, blogs, etc. . . . ), text, data files,scripts, APIs, or other types of data, functionality, or services thatcan be provided to a client. “Published content” means content that isoffered from a first host to a second host. For example, a client canaccess published content from a server. It is also contemplated thatpublishing content can be bidirectional where the client can alsoprovide its own published content to the server.

In one aspect of the inventive subject matter, one or more intermediaryproviders, each with their own distinct network address, areinstantiated on a virtual content hosting service (VCHS). The hostedintermediary providers service client requests for published content. Asnecessary, an intermediary provider's address (e.g., a domain name) canalso be registered with an address registration service (e.g., a domainname registrar).

In other aspects of the inventive subject matter, transformationpolicies associated with the various intermediary providers can bemanaged. Contemplated management activities include monitoring theoperation of policies, monitoring modifications to published content,updating or configuring policies, logging events, or other managementrelated functions.

Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventivesubject matter will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanyingdrawings in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic of an example system that provides publishedcontent through an intermediary content provider.

FIG. 2 is a schematic of a virtual content hosting service hosting anintermediary content provider.

FIG. 3A is a schematic of an example system where published content isobtained from an intermediary content provider before the intermediaryprovider is black listed.

FIG. 3B is a schematic of the system of FIG. 3A after an intermediarycontent provider has been black listed and replaced by a newintermediary content provider.

FIG. 4A is a schematic of a system where published content can beobtained without requiring redirection of a client by collapsingredirects.

FIG. 4B is a schematic of a system where published content can beobtained without requiring redirection of a client through asynchronousredirects.

FIG. 4C is a schematic of a system where published content can beobtained through silent redirects using an invisible IFRAME.

FIG. 5 is a schematic of a method for providing published content.

FIG. 6 is a schematic of a method of responding to a black listingevent.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description discusses the inventive subject matter withinthe light of an example advertising system where an advertiser publishesadvertising content. In the presented examples, an advertiser engagesone or more members of a distribution channel to disseminate promotionalinformation to consumers. Consumers access the advertiser's publishedcontent through an intermediary content provider which insulates theadvertiser from the reputation of its publishers, and segregates therespective reputations of each intermediary content provider. In apreferred embodiment where each publisher has dedicated or exclusive useof an intermediary content provider, this reputation segregation andinsulation reduces the risk of any intermediary provider becoming blacklisted, and minimizes or eliminates the effects of a black listing eventon the advertiser and other publishers which are not responsible forsuch black listing.

In FIG. 1, system 100 represents an environment where an advertiseroperating as primary content provider 150 provides published content155A through 155B to consumers 110A through 110B via one or moreintermediary content providers 175A through 175B.

Primary content provider 150 preferrably includes an advertiser thatwishes to promote goods or services by providing published content toconsumers. In a preferred embodiment, primary provider 150 comprises anetwork address, http://www.src1.com, that can be used to obtain one ormore pieces of content 155A through 155B.

In some embodiments, an additional primary provider 160 can also providecontent 165 to consumers via its network address, http://www.src2.com.Additional provider 160 could also be owned by the same entity asprovider 150. Alternatively, additional provider 160 could be owned by adifferent entity. Consider, for example, where provider 150 publishescontent 155A and also publishes advertisements from Google®. In theexample, Google® represents additional provider 160 and theadvertisements from Google® represents content 165. The utility ofaggregating content from one or more providers will become more apparentin the discussion below.

Network addresses preferably include identifiers used to locate objects,either real or virtual, over a network. In a preferred embodiment, anetwork address comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), preferablyincluding a domain name that is resolvable to an IP address via theDomain Name System (DNS). Other contemplated network addresses includeIPv4 addresses, IPv6 address, transport layer port assignments,hostnames, telephone numbers, instant messaging addresses, or otheraddressing schemes.

Most preferred internet network addresses comprise registered domainnames where the registered name is used in conjunction with a top leveldomain (TLD; e.g., .com, .edu, .net, .org, etc. . . . ) to identify aprovider and where published content can be obtained. An example of apreferred network includes prefix.domain-name.com where “domain-name”represents the registered domain name. “Prefix” can be of take anydesirable form (e.g., www) or simply not be present as is well known inthe art. Most preferred URLs identifying content incorporate aregistered domain name.

Primary content provider 150 can have one or more advertising campaignsthat include one or more of promotions 157. Promotions 157 includeinitial information regarding the advertiser's goods or services.Preferred promotions 157 provide or redirect to a network address of anintermediary provider 175A or 175B where published content can beobtained as opposed to the network address of primary provider 150.

When provider 150 wishes to begin promoting their goods or services,provider 150 can engage one or more members of a distribution channel130 to disseminate promotions 157. Distribution channel members 130 caninclude publishers 140A to 140B, ISPs 120, email list owners 132,affiliates 134, brokers, or others that can participate with creatingexposure for promotions 157. In some embodiments, provider 150 mightonly engage publisher 140A while publisher 140A engages otherdistribution channel members 130 without the knowledge of provider 150.

A publisher can pursue a plurality of different methods fordisseminating promotions 157. In one of the examples shown, publisher140A obtains a list of email addresses from list owner 132. Publisher140A or another of members 130 sends emails 145 to a plurality ofconsumers 110A through 110B. The emails preferably include one or moreURLs comprising network addresses of intermediary providers 175A or 175Bwhere consumer 110A can obtain published content. In another of theexamples shown, publisher 140B works with affiliate 134 to place ad 185within web page 180. Web page 180 can be hosted at any locationincluding on a site owned by affiliate 134. Preferably, ad 185 includesa URL link directed toward an intermediary provider. Ad 185 can take anydesirable form including banner ad, text ads, video, images, audio, orother types of promotions, known or yet to be invented. Although twoexamples of publishing promotions 157 are presented, one skilled in theart will appreciate that other disseminating methods can also beemployed while still falling within the scope of the inventive subjectmatter. Other contemplated methods can include purchasing key words onsearch engines, sending instant messages, sending text messages on cellphones, or other means for sending a promotion to a consumer.

It is contemplated that a distribution channel member 130 could refuseto propagate promotions 157. For example, ISP 120 might receive a blacklisting notice from a third party regarding content originating fromprimary content provider 150. ISP 120 might also receive complaints fromconsumer 110A regarding email 145 due to poor practices employed by listowner 132. ISP 120 could then refuse to forward emails 145 havingsimilar attributes as those causing the black listing or the complaint.ISP 120 can analyze attributes associated with emails 145 to determinethe originating source. An attribute can include the network address ofintermediary provider 175A where the published content can be obtained.When ISP 120 detects additional promotional materials referring to thenetwork address, it can discard emails 145. It is also contemplated thatother entities in addition to ISP 120 can black list promotionalinformation. For example, a site hosting web page 180 could refuse toplace ad 185, cell phone carriers could refuse to forward text message,or email filter applications could filter emails. Regardless of whichentity refuses to participate in the distribution of promotions 157,provider 150 could suffer from black listing due to poor practices fromentities outside their control.

Having one or more intermediary providers 175A through 175B insulatesprovider 150 from a black listing event. In a preferred embodiment,promotions 157 comprise network addresses that direct consumers 110A or110B to the intermediary providers 175A or 175B as opposed to thecontent provider 150. For example, consumer 110A would access content155A via network address http://www.src1-A.com as opposed networkaddress http://www.src1.com. Should ISP 120 decide to black list thepromotional materials, the ISP would identify the source materialoriginating from intermediary provider 175A. Intermediary provider 175Awould be black listed as opposed to provider 150.

In a preferred embodiment, intermediary provider 175A is hosted on avirtual content hosting service (VCHS) 170. VCHS 170 provides sufficienthardware or software to support execution of instructions representingan intermediary provider application. One should note that it isspecifically contemplated a VCHS is programmed to replace a black listedintermediary provider with a new intermediary provider having a new,distinct network address (e.g., a domain name). Preferably the VCHSautomatically replaces the black listed intermediary provider.

Consumer 110A preferrably accesses published content via intermediaryproviders 175A or 175B using HTTP exchanges 115 as is well known in theart, possibly using a web browser application. Additionally,intermediary providers 175A or 175B obtain published content 155A, 155B,or 165 from one or more of content providers 150 or 160, alsopreferrably using HTTP exchanges 176. One skilled in the art willrecognize the utility of employing HTTP to exchange published content.One should note that other network protocols can also be used to obtainpublished content including FTP, SMTP, peer-to-peer protocols, or othernetworking protocols.

Published content preferably includes Internet based data prepared forpresentation to a client (e.g., a consumer). Contemplated publishedcontent includes audio, images, video, data streams (e.g., on-lineradios, web cams, etc. . . . ), data feeds (e.g., ATOM, RSS, etc. . . .), text, data files, scripts, APIs, executable files, functionality, orother types of data. Preferred published content comprises informationrelating to goods or services.

Although the present example illustrates intermediary provider 175A asobtaining content 155A directly from provider 150, one should appreciatethat a plurality of intermediary providers can be chained together. Forexample, intermediary provider 175A could obtain content fromintermediary provider 175B which in turn obtains content from providers150 or 160.

In FIG. 2, VCHS 270 comprise one or more intermediary providers 275Athrough 275B. A preferred intermediary provider comprises an HTTP server276A for responding to client requests directed to the network addressof the intermediary provider and comprises an HTTP client 278A forobtaining published content 280 from a primary provider. Eachintermediary provider preferrably has its own distinct network addressthat is different from the primary provider's network address.

It is specifically contemplated that intermediary providers 275A through275B can be bi-direction transformation agents. For example, a clientcan also submit client published content 285 to HTTP server 276A, whichwill then be transformed into transformed client content 265 pursuant totransformation policy 277A, and delivered by HTTP client 278A to theprimary provider.

Although intermediary provider 275A can be a standalone computer,preferrably intermediary provider 275A comprises one or more softwaremodules operating on a computing system represented by VHCS 270. In someembodiments, each of intermediary providers 275A through 275B can be aninstance of an operating system supporting provider functionality. Forexample, a single computer can run more than one instance of Linux,possibly through VMWare®, where each instance of Linux includes softwarerepresenting an intermediary provider having its own network address,preferrably a registered domain name. An intermediary provider can beconsidered a virtual server, or more aptly named a virtual contentserver.

Intermediary provider 275A preferably comprises an HTTP server 276A torespond to a client's request for published content. An example of anHTTP server includes Apache™ as commonly available athttp://apache.org/. Although an HTTP server is preferred, any suitableserver responsive to requests for published content can also be used.

Intermediary provider 275A also preferrably comprises an HTTP client278A capable of generating requests for published content 280. HTTPclient 278A generates one or more requests directed toward a contentthat can be obtained from a primary content provider at a networkaddress associated with the primary provider.

In a preferred embodiment, provider 275A is programmed or otherwiseconfigured to obtain published content 280 from a specified networkaddress associated with a primary content provider. For example, whenHTTP server 276A receives a request for content athttp://www.src1-A.com/, intermediary provider 275A obtains publishedcontent 280 at the specified network address, http://www.src1.com/ forexample.

Intermediary provider 275A also preferably comprises transformationpolicy 277A. Policy 277A includes one or more rules governing inspectionor modification of published content 280, or even client content 285, asit is obtained. Transformation policy 277A converts published content280 into transformed content 260 that is presentable to a client. Policy277A is contemplated to operate on actual content data or other datarelating to the content data referred to as “metadata”. A contenttransformation policy can include the addition of data, removal of data,modification of data, or non-transformation of data. A preferred policy277A inspects content 280 for references of a network address of theprimary content provider and then modifies content 280 into transformedcontent 260 in a manner where transformed content appears to originatefrom intermediary provider 275A via its network address. Contemplatedchanges include modification of links, paths, scripts, file names,cookies, directory names, or other items where a network address ortransformed content could be referenced.

Untransformed content can also be provided to the client. In someembodiments, only a portion of published content 280 might requiretransformation while the remaining portions of published content 280 arepassed on to the client without modification. For example, image datafiles obtainable at a primary content provider's network address wouldlikely remain untransformed, while metadata associated with the imagefile (e.g., HTML, XML, file name, etc. . . . ) could be transformed toreflect origination from intermediary provider 275A.

Policy 277A can also include rules generating transformed content 260 bytransforming actual content data as published content 280 is obtained.One example use for altering actual content data includes the formationof one or more virtual web sites offering parental controls. As contentis obtained, potentially offensive language, images, or sounds can beremoved according to policy 277A before presentation to a young viewer.Another example use includes altering text or image content presented toa consumer based on demographic information known about such consumer.In the current art, advertisers must present a one-size-fits-all versionof their content for all users, as web site hosting technologies do notfacilitate the customization of content in real time for individualviewers. Using content modification rules based on known demographic orother information, intermediary providers enable advertisers or otherdistribution channel members to effectively customize published contentto provide a tailored content experience to every requesting client.

Preferably policy 277A is applied as published content 280 is obtained,in near real-time (e.g., within 10 seconds). In yet more preferredembodiment, content is transformed at is it streamed throughintermediately provider 275A. One skilled in the art will recognize thatpublished content 280 can be buffered for inspection or modification.Although published content 280 can be buffered, a preferred provider275A begins providing transformed content 260 to a client with a delayof less than 10 seconds from initial reception of published content 280.Yet more preferably, the delay is less than 1 second. Quickly respondingto client's request aids in reducing loss of consumers that wouldotherwise be lost due to experiencing high latency.

It is contemplated that published content 280 could be cached. Inparticular, in a preferred embodiment it may be advantageous to cachelarge image or other multi-media files to facilitate faster response toclient requests, or caching optimization to minimize client downloadtime. In this manner, content delivery to a client is expeditedresulting in reduced consumer loss due to latency or other contentdelays.

One can consider intermediary provider 275A as a disposable web site.Should a black listing event occur, the black listed intermediaryprovider can be discarded, replaced, or updated with a new networkaddress. Furthermore, a plurality of intermediary 275A through 275B canbe created as front ends of a primary content provider. VCHS 270essentially offers the capability of making a single site appear as manysites. In some embodiments, 10 or more, or even 100 or more intermediaryproviders can be instantiated as front ends for a primary contentprovider.

In FIG. 3A, before black listing, intermediary provider 375A providespublished content at network address http://www.src1-abc1.com andintermediary provider 375B provides published content available atnetwork address http://www.src1-xyz1.com to consumers 310A or 310B. Bothintermediary providers could be associated with the same primary contentprovider, possibly located at http://www.src1.com. An ISP has decided toblack list intermediary provider 375A. The ISP could make its decisionbased on spam complaints, or possibly by inspecting the site located atintermediary provider's network address.

FIG. 3B illustrates the value of having intermediary providers afterintermediary provider 375A is black listed. After the detection of theblack listing event, intermediary provider 375A can be removed from theVCHS. A new intermediary provider 375C can be instantiated with a newnetwork address, preferrably a registered domain name. For example, thenew address can be http://www.src1-abc2.com. Publishers can be updatedwith the new address to ensure that consumer 310A or 310B will directtheir requests toward the new intermediary provider 375C.

Preferably, the time to instantiate a new intermediary provider is lessthan the time to update distribution channel members with new addressinformation. In a preferred embodiment, the new intermediary provider isfully available in less than 24 hours and yet more preferably in lessthan one hour.

One aspect that could limit the speed at which an intermediary providerbecomes fully available, is the amount of time necessary to updateglobal DNS systems with the new address information. The risk of losttime can be mitigated by establishing a pool of parked registered domainnames on VCHS 370. When desired, the VCHS 370 simply redirects alltraffic directed toward the new address to intermediary provider 375Cmaking intermediary provider 375C available nearly instantly.

Another advantage associated with providing intermediary providersincludes collapsing client side redirects. In previous systems fordistributing promotions, one or more members of the distribution channelmodify URLs within the promotions. When a consumer clicks on a modifiedURL, rather than proceeding directly to the published content, they areredirected to one or more other sites beforehand. The redirection allowsa distribution channel member to account for activity associated withtheir respective services. Such redirection can increase the latencywith which a client obtains desirable published content.

A redirect can be triggered by a shortcut represented by a root base URL(e.g., /MyShortcut). A shortcut can be linked to one or more types ofredirects by the intermediary provider rather than the client. Preferredtypes of redirects include a collapsed redirect, an asynchronousredirect, or a silent redirect.

In FIG. 4A, client 410 redirection can be avoided through the use ofintermediary provider 475, by using a collapsed redirect. In support ofa promotion, intermediary provider 475 can be programmed withappropriate redirects if desired. Supporting back-end redirects allowsvarious members 430 of the distribution channel to obtain accountinginformation.

Client 410 makes a request of intermediary provider 475 viacommunication 1. Intermediary provider 475 communicates with the variousmembers 430 of the distribution channel (e.g., list owner 432,affiliates 434, ISP 420, publisher 440, etc. . . . ) or other interestedparties, through communications 2 through 5. Although four redirects areshown, one should note that any number of back-end redirects can besupported. When appropriate, intermediary provider obtains publishedcontent from provider 450 via communication 6. The intermediary providerforwards transformed content on to client 410 at communication 7. In apreferred embodiment, intermediary provider 475 saves cookies or otherinformation placed by the sites requesting redirection (e.g., list owner432, affiliates 434, ISP 420, publisher 440, etc. . . . ) and replaysthem when the final landing page is reached on behalf of the respectivedomains.

One should also note that redirects can be performed substantially inparallel to reduce the delay experienced by a client. For example, uponreceiving a request from client 410, intermediary provider 475 couldobtain published content from provider 450 via communication 6 anddeliver such communication 7 to the consumer 410 prior to completingcommunications 2 through 5.

FIG. 4B presents an example of an asynchronous redirect where client 410makes an initial request for content via communication 1 withintermediary provider 475. The content is obtained from primary provider450 via communication 2 and the transformed content is delivered to theclient as communication 3. Meanwhile, a background thread can belaunched to follow desirable redirects as shown by communications 4through 7.

In FIG. 4C, illustrates an example of a silent redirect (also referredto as an IFRAME-based redirect). Client 410 requests content throughintermediary provider 475 via communication 1. Intermediary provider 475obtains the content from provider 450 through communication 2 andpresents client 410 with the requested landing page throughcommunication 3. In addition, the landing page includes invisible IFRAME415, which executes desirable redirects, for example communications 4through 7. Intermediary provider 475 ensures that the final landing pageis not displayed again via IFRAME 415 while only allowing IFRAME 415 toexecute redirects. Silent redirects allow for various redirect hops(e.g., distribution members 430) to properly place cookies or otherinformation in the browser of client 410.

It is also contemplated that back-end accounting can be performed afterproviding published content to client. In some embodiments, accountinginformation can be aggregated by VCHS 470 and periodically sent todistribution channel members or other interested parties. The accountinginformation could be processed on any suitable schedule includinghourly, weekly, or monthly.

In FIG. 5, method 500 illustrates a possible method for providingpublished content to a client. Although the steps of the methods arepresented in sequence, one skilled in the art will appreciate that thesteps can performed in other sequences while still falling within thescope of the inventive subject matter.

At step 505 an intermediary content is made accessible via one or morenetwork addresses. As previously discussed, a VCHS can support hostingone or more intermediate providers that are accessible by theirindividual network addresses. At step 506, an intermediary provider canbe instantiated, preferably through management software programmed toconfigure and launch the intermediary provider. It is contemplated thatthe management software can execute local or remote to the VCHS systemwhere management functionality can be accessed via a network accessibleAPI, possibly using a web service. In a preferred embodiment the VCHShosts the intermediary provider. It is also contemplated that othersystems could host the intermediary provider, possibly the primarycontent provider for example.

Intermediary providers preferrably include a transformation policy usedto determine how to transform content. At step 508, the transformationpolicy is created to fit the needs of the primary content provider orother owner of the intermediary provider. The policy can be createdthrough any suitable means including a software application. In someembodiments, the software application includes a web interfaceaccessible by interested parties purchasing the services of the VCHS.For example, an advertiser can upload, select, or manage policiesassociated with their intermediaries in support of various advertisingcampaigns or promotions. Furthermore, as step 509 a plurality ofpolicies are managed. Policy management can comprise various managementfunctions including creating policies, deleting policies, modifyingpolicies, scheduling policy actions, logging policy events, monitoringstatistics or metrics, updating polices, reporting, notifying of events,or other management functions.

Intermediary providers can also act as a third party mediating contentbetween the content provider and its clients or consumers. In thiscapacity, the intermediary provider can act as a certification serviceproviding independent verification of the actions taken by the primarycontent provider or a client in any exchange. For example, if a consumersubscribes to a primary content provider's newsletter, the intermediaryprovider can independently record the content presented to such aconsumer, the information submitted by such consumer, or any otherinformation deemed relevant to consumer's subscription.

At step 510, it is contemplated that the network addresses of theintermediary provider are correlated with a member of a distributionchannel. For example, if an advertiser providing content fromhttp://www.src1.com wishes to publish a promotion through a publishercalled “HonestPublishing”, one could correlate the intermediary'snetwork address by assigning the intermediary a domain name of“http://www.src1-honestpublishing.com”. Any suitable method can beemployed to correlate a network address with a distribution channelmember including a look-up table. One skilled in the art will recognizethat any network address could be used including domain names that areperceived to be random while still adhering to the rules for validdomain names (e.g., alpha-numeric characters, no preceding or trailinghyphens, and less than 64 characters including top level domain). Ratherthan using an advertiser's or publisher's name in a domain name, theintermediary could have a completely random domain name,“http://www.3xg87-w8khmc-23.com” for example.

Correlating an intermediary's network address with one or more membersof a distribution channel provides numerous advantages. First, shouldthe intermediary become black listed; an advertiser could deduce whichmembers of the distribution channel might have been responsible. Second,an advertiser can determine which of the members of the distributionchannel add the most value by correlating statistics with the addressesof the intermediaries. Third, based on compiled statistics or blacklisting events, feedback can be supplied to the members of thedistribution channel so they can improve their practices.

Just as an intermediary's network address can be correlated with amember of the distribution channel, at step 511 the network address cancorrelate to a primary content provider. Such an approach may haveseveral advantages, such as enabling intermediaries to carry the brandof the primary content provider. Alternatively, a primary contentprovider could desire to remain anonymous. In addition, an intermediarycould correlate to multiple primary content providers based on one ormore business rules established by the publisher or distribution channelmembers. Example business rules might include delivering content deemedthe most relevant to the requesting consumer based on demographiccriteria; or content which can be obtained from the primary contentprovider the fastest; or content from the provider which offers thepublisher the most favorable financial terms at a particular point intime.

Although correlating network addresses with members of the distributionchannel or primary provider is useful, it is also contemplated thatother correlations have utility. For example, network addresses can becorrelated to geographic region, affiliations (e.g., political, school,corporate, etc. . . . ), or other classifications.

At step 512, a network address preferably comprises a domain name wheredomain name is registered with the domain name registrar, Register.comfor example. In some embodiments, one can create a pool of registereddomain names having acceptable attributes before instantiatingintermediary providers. The pre-registered domain names can parked atthe VCHS system and, when needed, requests directed toward the domainname can be sent to a selected intermediary provider. For example, theVCHS might park thousands of domain names of the form src1-XXXXX.comwhere XXXXX represents a five digit number. Each of the domain namesresolve to an IP address for the VCHS system. Should a request arrivedirected to the parked domain name, the VCHS system can respond with atemplate web page, or not respond at all. When an intermediary becomesactive, the VCHS system redirects the requests to an HTTP serverassociated with the target intermediary provider.

Once an intermediary provider has been instantiated or otherwisecreated, it is able to respond to requests from a client (e.g., aconsumer). At step 515 a client directs a request to the network addressof the intermediary provider. In some embodiments, a client utilizes asoftware application to send the request, possibly a web browser. In apreferred embodiment, requests for published content represent HTTPrequests targeting a URL comprising the network address of theintermediary provider. Other types of requests are also contemplatedincluding database queries, emails, instant messages, or other requeststhat can be transported over a network.

In some embodiments, at step 520 it is contemplated that a validationcan also be sent to the client to indicate that the intermediaryprovider is, in fact, a trusted or otherwise valid entity. Thevalidation can include digital certificates similar to those provided byVeriSign® (http://www.verisign.com/) or DigiCert®(http://www.digicert.com/).

At step 525, published connect is aggregated from at least one primarycontent provider. Published content is aggregated by pulling togetherthe various data files, streams, feeds, functionality, or otherpublished data. In a preferred embodiment the intermediary provideroperates as an HTTP client requesting published content from a networkaddress associated with the primary content providers. It is alsocontemplated that the content can be obtained from providers other thanthe primary content providers. For example, should a primary contentprovider post ads by Google, then those ads can be pulled from Googleand presented to the consumer. Aggregation of the published contentpreferrably occurs in parallel by submitting multiple requests tocontent provider substantially at the same time.

At step 530, the published content is preferably obtained at a networkaddress different from that used by an intermediary provider. In apreferred embodiment, the intermediary provider operates as an HTTPclient requesting published content from a primary content provider. Insome embodiments, the published content is obtained over a securecommunication channel. A secure communication channel can be establishedbetween the intermediary and the client using HTTPS via SSL or othersuitable protocols. In other embodiments, the published content isprovided only after client or server authentication which providesadditional confidentiality of data. Any acceptable authentication methodcan be employed including password exchange, OpenID(http://www.openid.net/), SecureID® offered from RSA®(http://www.rsa.com/), or other forms of authentication.

At step 535, at least a portion of the published content is transformedinto transformed content as it is obtained according to a transformationpolicy in a manner where the published content appears to originate fromthe intermediary provider. It is also contemplated that transformedcontent could be transformed in a manner where it appears to originatefrom one or more network addresses assigned to the intermediaryprovider. When viewed externally by a client (e.g., a person, acomputer, or software), the content appears to be published from theintermediary site. Preferrably the published content is streamed throughthe transformation policy modules with any suitable buffering to ensurea client receives an initial portion of the transformed content within10 seconds of the intermediary provider obtaining an initial portion ofthe published content.

At step 536, it is contemplated that a transformation policy can beconfigured to anonymize the published content with respect to theprimary content provider. The published content can be fully orpartially cleansed of undesirable references in either actual contentdata or in metadata. Providing an anonymizing service further protectsprimary content providers against the risk of black listing.

Additionally, at step 537, a preferred transformation policy ensuresthat an intermediary provider retains functionally of within thepublished content provided by the primary content provider.Functionality includes various capabilities offered by the primarycontent provider including links, APIs, applets, flash, embeddedplayers, programmatic functions, or other capabilities beyond merepresentation of data.

At step 538, it is contemplated that an intermediary provider can alteractual content data. Altering the actual content data allows foranonymizing the primary providers as discussed previously. Additionally,altering content data also provides utility for purposes in addition toadvertising. For example, the VCHS system and intermediary provider canalso provide for censoring content for young viewers. A parent canpurchase an intermediary provider that sanitizes web content for theirchildren. Altering content can include adding, removing, or otherwisemodifying the data by making changes to text, scripts, functions, audio,video, image, or other content data as it is obtained.

At step 540 the intermediary provider, preferably through an HTTPserver, provides the transformed content back to the client. Althoughthe preferred embodiment utilizes an HTTP server to respond to theclient's request, the transformed content could be provided throughalternative means. Contemplated alternatives include email, instantmessaging, phone call, text messages, or other suitable means ofcommunication.

Preferably the intermediary provider reduces a need for client sideredirections. The intermediary provider, at step 543, can handle allaccounting or other interactions through back-end redirects whilelacking any redirection of the client. Contemplated redirects that lackclient redirection include collapsed redirects or asynchronousredirects.

In a preferred embodiment the VCHS represents a paid service offeringone or more intermediary providers to distribution channel members oradvertisers in exchange for a fee. Contemplated fees include flat fees,per use fees, fees for bandwidth utilization, subscriptions, or otherforms of charging a fee in exchange for providing an intermediaryprovider.

In FIG. 6, method 600 illustrates a possible set of steps for processinga black listing event affecting an intermediary provider. Theintermediary provider can be replaced by a second intermediary providerhaving a second network address distinct from the old intermediaryprovider's network address. The following steps are provided in asequence for clarity. One skilled in the art will recognize that strictadherence to the sequence of steps is not required.

At step 605, the reputation of a intermediary provider is monitored,including detection of a black listing event. Any suitable method ofmonitoring reputation or detecting the black listing event can beemployed. One suitable method includes observing one or more metricsrelating to the usage of the intermediary provider. When a usage metriccrosses a threshold value, the intermediary provider can be consideredblack listed. Contemplated metrics include number of hits, rate at whichhits occur, amount of data transferred, or other observable metric.Additionally, reputation can be monitored directly through third partyservices. A black listing event can be detected through third partynotification, or through interaction with members of the distributionchannel where the member, possibly an ISP, notifies a party associatedwith the intermediary provider of the black listing event. Preferably aVCHS system initially detects the black listing event and informs theircustomer of the event.

At step 610, a second network address different from the firstintermediary provider's address is obtained. Preferred second addressescomprise URLs having different domain names. In some embodiments, aspreviously discussed, the second address can be drawn from a pool ofexisting registered domain names.

At step 615, if necessary, a domain name associated with the secondnetwork address is registered with a domain name registrar. One skilledin the art will recognize that this step can be performed whilereplacing the intermediary provider, or can be performed before the needarises by creating a pool of registered domain names.

At step 620, a second intermediary provider is instantiated as discussedpreviously with respect to method 500. At step 625, it is contemplatedthat the new intermediary provider replaces the black listedintermediary provider. Replacing the old intermediary provider caninclude associating a transformation policy with the new intermediaryprovider where the transformation policy could be a copy of the previousintermediary's policy. Furthermore, the new intermediary provider isconfigured to respond to incoming request by providing published contentfrom the primary content provider. In a preferred embodiment, the stepof replacing the intermediary provider occurs automatically via softwarepossibly executing on a VCHS system. One should note that replacing aprevious intermediary provide also includes simply updating the previousprovider's network address with a new network address while retainingthe previous intermediary provider with its transformation policy.

At step 630, as desired, one or more members of the distribution channelare updated with the new network address information. For example, anadvertiser can send updated promotional materials having the new networkaddresses to a publisher. Alternately, publishers are notified directlyof the network address change to the promotional materials already intheir possession. The publishers can then send the modified promotionalmaterials to consumers via their standard distribution methods.

At step 635, feedback can be sent to one or more members of distributionchannel. Feedback can include information relating to a black listingevent, or other acceptable information. Supplying feedback establishes afoundation of an auditing system useful to all members of the system. AnISP will find the feedback valuable to ensure they properly allowdesirable content to reach their users. Members of the distributionchannel will find feedback valuable to improve their practices. Primarycontent providers, including advertisers, will find the feedback usefulto determine how to optimize their distribution channels and holdproblematic distribution channel members accountable for their businesspractices.

It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many moremodifications besides those already described are possible withoutdeparting from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subjectmatter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of theappended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification andthe claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possiblemanner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises”and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements,components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that thereferenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized,or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are notexpressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at leastone of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C . . . andN, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from thegroup, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.

1. A method of providing published content, the method comprising:providing an intermediary content provider accessible via a firstnetwork address; aggregating published content from at least one primarycontent provider, where the published content from each primary contentprovider is obtained at a network address that is different from thefirst network address; transforming at least a portion of the publishedcontent as it is obtained into transformed content according to atransformation policy in a manner where the published content appears tooriginate from the intermediary content provider; and in response to aclient's request directed toward the first network address, theintermediary provider providing the transformed content to the client.2. The method of claim 1, further comprising instantiating theintermediary provider.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstnetwork address comprises a domain name.
 4. The method of claim 3,further comprising registering the domain name with a domain nameregistrar.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising correlating thefirst network address with a member of a distribution channel.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising correlating the first networkaddress with the at least one primary content provider.
 7. The method ofclaim 6, wherein the step of replacing the intermediary provider occursautomatically.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising replacingthe intermediary provider with a second intermediary provider having asecond network address distinct from the first network address and fromeach primary content provider's network address.
 9. The method of claim1, further comprising providing a plurality of intermediary providers.10. The method of claim 9, further comprising managing a plurality oftransformation policies associated with the plurality of intermediaryproviders.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality ofintermediary providers comprises at least 10 providers each with theirown distinct network address.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein theplurality of intermediary providers comprises at least 100 providerseach with their own distinct network address.
 13. The method of claim 1,further comprising charging a fee in exchange for providing theintermediary content provider.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein thestep of providing the transformed content to the client includesretaining functionality published by the at least one primary contentprovider.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the published contentincludes at least one of the following types of data: image data, videodata, audio data, text data, streamed data, feed data, and file data.16. The method of claim 1, further comprising anonymizing the contentwith respect to the at least one primary content provider.
 17. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the transformed contentto the client lacks redirection of the client.
 18. The method of claim1, further comprising providing the client a validation that theintermediary provider is a valid entity.
 19. The method of claim 1,further comprising hosting the intermediary provider on a virtualcontent hosting service.
 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the step oftransforming the content further comprises altering actual content data.